Offloaded - The Travel Industry Podcast

Rail travel is ‘having a moment’, says AC, and according to the CEO of Railbookers Group, Frank Marini, it’s only just getting started.

In this episode of Offloaded, Richard Taylor and Ann-Catherine Jones explore what this renaissance means for travellers and advisors.

The conversation covers everything from iconic luxury journeys like the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express through to practical point-to-point rail connections across Europ...

Angus “Gus” Pitkethley of Rosewood Hong Kong joins us for this episode — and fair warning: if you weren’t already thinking about a trip to Hong Kong, you will be after this one. 

Rosewood Hong Kong has just been named the No. 1 Hotel in the World (a coincidence after featuring this year on Offloaded Podcast? We think not!) , and Gus takes us behind the scenes of what it really takes to reach — and stay at — the top. From its “vertic...

Malik Fernando of Resplendent Ceylon is our guest for this episode. And a word of warning before we continue...you're going to want to visit Sri Lanka after this one. This short video will paint the picture of what's discussed in this episode. 

Malik's father, Merrill J. Fernando, founded Dilmah Tea in the 1980s after realizing the need for a Sri Lankan-owned brand that celebrated single-origin Ceylon tea. Starting in...

Nicole O’Sullivan is redefining how travel professionals sell. 

With over two decades in the industry that includes six years in the US, she has a sharp eye for what works and what doesn't.

Nicole's unique offering to the industry begins with 'mystery calling', during which she assesses how wholesalers, tour operators and agents are communicating with agents, clients and each other. 

Could we all improve? You bet w...

Club Med's Michelle Davies has a new and quite lengthy title of General Manager - Pacific & New Emerging ESAP Markets. 

Hired in June 2020 as Marketing Manager, Michelle later took on the General Manager role with a mission to lead Club Med's Australian office out of the pandemic and into the unchartered territory of a new industry landscape.

This episode is a story of navigating new challenges and getting the very best...

David "Dave-o" Kolner, Virtuoso's Executive Vice President, joins Offloaded to offer what AC describes as a health check for the luxury travel industry. 

"I want to be so much more than just the data guy", says Dave-o. 

And he is. He most certainly is. 

In this episode you'll learn about the trends that Virtuoso are currently seeing through the unparalleled sales data that the global luxury behemoth has u...

As the child of a father who was a founder of the US Tour Operators Association, it would come as no surprise for Matthew Upchurch to enter the travel industry and become one of it's iconic leaders. 

The founder of Virtuoso in the 1980's, as CEO Matthew has overseen the company become the leading global network of agencies specialising in luxury and experiential travel. Today Virtuoso comprises of more than 20,000 advisors...

80.5

That's the number of years experience of selling cruises on today's episode, as we invited the icons that are Robyn Sinfield and Megan Caterall into The Room Residence in Sydney, which is a brand new space recently opened by Room Res that Co-Founders James Mooring and Nic Bryant were on hand to explain the space to us.

With an eye towards helping both new and existing travel advisors sell cruise m...

Melanie Whyte is a single parent with two special needs children who also happens to be one of Australia's most successful and highly decorated home-based travel advisors. 

In this episode Mel joins Richard and AC to share her story of how helping with the travel arrangements for parents adopting children overseas and those of 'neurospicy' families (her words) became the bedrock of her fledgling business. 

&q...

Its 2025, and Richard and AC are back with a special episode to get you through those long Summer days.

AC was asked to host a highly esteemed and very international discussion panel at the recent Goldman Travel Group Conference, and we have exclusive access to the audio right here for you!

Following the panel, AC and Richard about the proliferation of travel industry events. All 5,627 of them.   

The panel featur...

In this episode we present part two of a live session from ATIA's 'Beyond Borders' summit held at the ICC in Sydney.

This session covers the second part of the discussion around ATIA's 'A30' announcements, where ATIA CEO Dean Long speaks to several more of the association's directors. This time he's joined by David Hosking, Peter Muller, Rohan Moss, Katrina Barry and David Smith.

In this special episode we present a live session from ATIA's 'Beyond Borders' summit held at the ICC in Sydney.

In the first release from Beyond Borders (BB), this session covers the first hour of  and specifically the key areas of focus that will lead the industry towards 2030.

The project is called A30, and you'll hear from ATIA CEO Dean Long, Chair Christian Hunter, Vice Chairs Skroo Turner and ...

Offloaded is back for Season Three!

To kick things off, Richard and AC are joined by possibly the most senior industry leader to appear on Offloaded thus far in the shape of James Kavanagh, Flight Centre Travel Group’s Global CEO of Leisure. 

We begin by covering leadership, change and the importance of having mentors and good people around you, before moving onto two of FCTG’s longer-term strategies of growth into luxury travel and ...

The final episode of Series 2 broke the mould before we change things up again for Series 3 that's coming in September. 

Erina Pindar, COO and Managing Partner of SmartFlyer, became our first international guest, our first live in-person podcast held at a luxury hotel, and the first guest who hijacked our Offloaded section with an Offload of her very own.

Erina joined SmartFlyer when there were just 6 trav...

Andrew Young is the General Manager Sales for TTC Tour Brands Oceania, and the only person we know that performs a demanding industry role while living and helping out as the only son on a working farm.

That topic is worthy of a podcast all by itself, but the reason for asking Andy to join us on this occasion was to talk about travel industry sales.

We were also joined by Karen Macmillan, Director Australia, New ...

"Get the country open".

These were the suggestions from the Fijiian Prime Minister, Attorney General and Chair of Tourism Fiji to Brent Hill , the new CEO who had taken up the role at a time when the island was closed for visitation.

AC and Richard quizzed Brent about this interesting life and career choice, before moving on to discussing Fiji's unique charms, character and challenges that make i...

A packed episode that includes AC howling at the moon. 

Parris Fotias, Regional Sales Director APAC for Dorchester Collection was our guest for this episode, interviewed by AC and stand-in presenter Sonia Jones. 

Our interviewers were very excited to get a hotelier onto the podcast in Richard’s absence, and immediately set about discussing some of the reasons why advisor relationships with properties can make so much difference for t...

Part TWO! Listen to part one first!
Michael Gazal and Tania Myles of TravelManagers Australia return for Part Two of a 2024 travel industry take on the famous book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' by Stephen R. Covey.

Working daily with a network of 450+ travel advisors (or in their terminology Personal Travel Managers), Michael and Tania are brilliantly positioned to talk about the common qualities...

Michael Gazal and Tania Myles of TravelManagers Australia were our guests this week to discuss a 2024 travel industry take on the famous book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' by Stephen R. Covey. 

Working daily with a network of 450+ travel advisors (or in their terminology Personal Travel Managers), Michael and Tania are brilliantly positioned to talk about the common qualities they're seeing in a...